`Research has shown that restorative justice conferences can reduce re-offending among juvenile offenders. What is restorative justice and what is the evidence to suggest it is effective?

Running head : RESTORATIVE JUSTICE

Restorative Justice and Its Effects to the Community

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April 14 , 2008

Word count : 2 ,736 words

Restorative Justice and Its Effects to the Community

It was in September 1 , 1997 when McGarrell , Olivares , Crawford , and Kroorand did an experiment on a in what they called the `Restorative Conferencing Experiment . Designed as a random experiment , 232 of the youths were under the restorative justice group , while the remaining 226 went to the other diversion programs , such as the Shoplifting Program

.21 Using the approach on control and deterrence theory , as well as reintegrative shaming , the recorded data included the observations and interviews of the participants , which can be divided into six : first the conference victims , which control group victims , which conference youths , which group youths , which parents , which parents , which With the offenders aging 14 and below , who had not been arrested on some serious offense or crime , and who admitted responsibility on the committed offense , it turned out that as much as 90 of the victims concluded that they were satisfied or strongly satisfied with the result of the conferencing while more than 90 of those in the youth conference and control concluded that they were satisfied (McGarrell et al , 2000 ,

.36 . On a restorative justice conference that lasted only for about 43 minutes , with an additional 10 minutes for the reintegration ceremony , it proved that the use of restorative justice had led to positive effects , apparently to all participants in the conference

This will revolve around restorative justice : its definition objective and theory , history , principles , limitations , and effects Soon it will be evident on whether or not restorative justice is effective on all sides of the issue , and if not , which side appear to be ineffective . Does conferencing lead to more positive results for the community

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Restorative justice : definition , objective , and theory

Based on the article of Paul McCold and Ted Wachtel of the International Institute for Restorative Practices , the term restorative justice actually refers to a new way of looking at criminal justice that focuses on repairing the harm done to people and relationships rather than on punishing offenders (2003 ,

.1 . Having originated in the `70s in the process of mediation between the victim and the offender , restorative justice had broadened and developed to include - not just the victim and the offender - but the `community of care , such as the families , friends , and the control and conference groups . The major objective is to focus more on the process of `healing ' and further `empowerment , which is why it would be best for criminal cases that center on the juvenile offenders . It is more of a collaborative process , as it aims to determine the best way that would repair the harm that had been done

The theory of restorative justice puts the focusing eye , not on the doer of the harm , but on...